Claims:We claim:

1. A cold milling machine (100) comprising:
a chassis frame (10) supported on front wheels (2) and rear wheels (4);
an engine (20) mounted on the chassis frame (10) in a transverse orientation at a rear end behind an operator seat (6);
a milling unit (30) positioned on a bottom side of the chassis frame (10) such that the engine (20) gets positioned above the milling unit (30), the milling unit (30) having a cutter drum (22), the cutter drum (22) having a driven pulley (24) coupled thereon;
a splitter gearbox (40) coupled to a flywheel of the engine (20), the splitter gearbox (40) having,
a clutch integrated therein and used for engaging/disengaging the milling unit (30), and
a driving pulley (32) coupled thereto, the driving pulley (32) coupled to the driven pulley (24) through a belt (36);
a radiator and oil cooler unit (50) placed at a rear part of the chassis frame (10) adjacent to the engine (20);
a lube oil filter (60) mounted on the engine (20) and directly accessible from an operator platform (15),
an air filter unit (70) supported on the splitter gearbox (40) and directly accessible from the operator platform (15); and
an exhaust unit (80) placed vertically on the chassis frame (10).

2. The cold milling machine (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engine (20) is transversely mounted on the chassis frame (10) on four anti-vibration mounts.

3. The cold milling machine (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the splitter gearbox (40) has one input and three outputs, the three outputs of the splitter gearbox (40) are on an opposite side of the input.
4. The cold milling machine (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein two outputs of the splitter gearbox (40) are coupled to pump drives (34) and a third output is coupled with the driving pulley (32).

5. The cold milling machine (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the splitter gearbox (40) has outputs for the pump drives (34) and the driving pulley (32) on one side and an engine coupling unit on the other side.

6. The cold milling machine (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein to adjust the tension in the belt (36), an adjustable tensioning pulley (38) is placed at a backside of the operator platform (15) and above the milling unit (30).

Dated this on 09th day of March, 2020

Prafulla Wange
(Agent for the applicant)
(IN/PA-2058)
, Description:COLD MILLING MACHINE

Field of the invention

The present invention generally relates to a construction equipment and more particularly, to a cold milling machine.

Background of the invention

There are various kinds of machines which are used for milling/cutting of road surface or surface mining like a road milling machine, a cold milling machine or cold planers. These machines remove an upper layer or existing layers of the road for maintenance or recycling of asphalt.

Figure 1 shows a milling machine of the prior art. The machine includes a chassis frame on which a power source, engine is mounted. To distribute the power of the engine, a splitter gearbox is used which has one input and two outputs on the other side. One output is coupled with a hydraulic pump which provides power to various hydraulic systems while the other output is used to drive a milling cutter. The chassis takes support from four independently driven wheel/ track arrangement, two at a front and two at a rear. The milling cutter unit is used to mill the road surface and includes a milling drum of a cylindrical shape. On the periphery of the drum, an array of cutting tool holders is mounted. The cutting tool holders hold the cutting picks (a pointed tool). When the milling drum rotates about its axis, the cutting picks shear off the road surface. The power from a driving pulley which is coupled to the splitter gearbox is transferred to a driven pulley which is mounted on the milling cutter drum. The engine is placed transversely approximately at the center of chassis, in front of an operator platform. The operator platform is mounted on the chassis above the milling cutter unit. However, this milling machine has a disadvantage of requiring a higher length belt. In addition, as the operator is placed above the milling unit and behind the engine, the vibrations of milling unit are directly transmitted to the operator causing the operator to experience heavy vibration.

Another milling machine as described in patent no. CN201512743U is shown in figure 2 that includes an engine (1), a transfer case (2), a clutch (3), a driving belt pulley (4), v type belt (5), a tensioning wheel (6), a driven belt pulley (7), a coupling (8), a lengthened driving shaft (9), a rotor speed reducer (10), a milling rotor (11), a first hydraulic pump (12), a second hydraulic pump (13) and a third hydraulic pump (14). On a chassis frame the engine (1) is mounted. The engine (1) is placed in a transverse position taking support from the chassis, at the back side of an operator platform above a milling rotor (11). The engine (1) has a number of power take offs to which pump drives are coupled which provides power to several systems. On a flywheel side, one pulley is coupled to the engine (1). The power from a driving pulley (4) which is coupled to the engine flywheel is transmitted by means of series of belt and pulley to the driven pulley (7) which is coupled to the milling rotor (11). The milling rotor (11) is used to mill the road surface and includes a milling drum (11) of a cylindrical shape. However, in this machine a center distance between the driving pulley (4) and the driven pulley (7) is high as the driving pulley (4) is on the same axis of engine crankshaft. So in order to achieve efficient power transmission, a series of belt and pulley drives have to be used.

Figure 3 shows a front view of the milling machine of figure 2. As shown in figure 3, to distribute the power of the engine (1), a gearbox is coupled to a engine flywheel and have one input and four outputs of which three are on the opposite side of the input, which are coupled with pump drives while the fourth output which one is on the same side of the input is used to rotate the driving pulley (4). The fourth output is used to transmit the power from flywheel side towards a fan pulley side with the help of the clutch (3) and the lengthened driving shaft/drive shaft extension (9). The driving pulley (4) is mounted on the drive shaft extension (9) that drives the milling rotor (11). So, in this case the power from one end i.e. flywheel end is transmitted to the other end i.e. towards the fan pulley end by using components like the clutch (3), the coupling (8), and the drive extension shaft (9). On this drive extension shaft (9), the driving pulley (4) is mounted. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that, the powertrain consumes large amount of space as the power from the engine (1) is taken from ‘flywheel end side’ towards ‘fan pulley side’ by using various components. As lots of components are used, the center distance between the driving (4) and the driven pulley (7) is also relatively higher.

Accordingly, there exists a need to provide a cold milling machine that overcomes the above mentioned drawbacks in the prior art.

Objects of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a cold milling machine having an engine placed above a milling unit.

Another object of the present invention is to improve accessibility of various filters associated with the engine.

Summary of the invention

Accordingly, the present invention provides a cold milling machine (hereinafter, “the mchine”). The machine comprises a chassis frame, an engine, a milling unit, a splitter gearbox, a radiator and oil cooler unit, a lube oil filter, an air filter unit and an exhaust unit.

The chassis frame is supported on front wheels and rear wheels. The engine is mounted on the chassis frame in a transverse orientation at a rear end behind an operator seat. Specifically, the engine is transversely mounted on the chassis frame on four anti-vibration mounts.
The milling unit is positioned on a bottom side of the chassis frame such that the engine gets positioned above the milling unit. The milling unit includes a cutter drum. The cutter drum includes a driven pulley coupled thereon.

The splitter gearbox is coupled to a flywheel of the engine. The splitter gearbox includes a clutch and a driving pulley. The clutch is integrated in the splitter gearbox and used for engaging/disengaging the milling unit. The driving pulley is coupled to the splitter gearbox. The driving pulley is coupled to the driven pulley through a belt. To adjust the tension in the belt, an adjustable tensioning pulley is placed at a backside of the operator platform and above the milling unit. The splitter gearbox has one input and three outputs. Specifically, the three outputs of the splitter gearbox are on an opposite side of the input. The two outputs of the splitter gearbox are coupled to pump drives and a third output is coupled with the driving pulley. The splitter gearbox has outputs for the pump drives and the driving pulley on one side and an engine coupling unit on the other side.

The radiator and oil cooler unit is placed at a rear part of the chassis frame adjacent to the engine. The lube oil filter is mounted on the engine and directly accessible from an operator platform. The air filter unit is supported on the splitter gearbox and directly accessible from the operator platform. The exhaust unit is placed vertically on the chassis frame.

Brief description of the drawings

The objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent when the disclosure is read in conjunction with the following figures, wherein
Figure 1 shows a milling machine, in accordance with the prior art;

Figure 2 shows a top view of another milling machine, in accordance with the prior art;

Figure 3 shows a front view of the milling machine of figure 2;

Figure 4 shows a front view of a cold milling machine, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 5 shows a top view of the cold milling machine, in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 6 shows a power transmission from an engine to a milling unit of the cold milling machine, in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The foregoing objects of the invention are accomplished and the problems and shortcomings associated with prior art techniques and approaches are overcome by the present invention described in the present embodiments.

In general aspect, the present invention provides a cold milling machine. The cold milling machine improves accessibility of various filters associated with an engine. The cold milling machine also enables to place various frequently serviceable items such as fuel filters and lube oil filter to be able to accesses from an operator platform. The cold milling machine better utilizes the space and provides more accessibility.

The present invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which reference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. These reference numbers are shown in bracket in the following description.

Referring to figures 4-6, a cold milling machine (100) (hereinafter, “the machine (100)”) in accordance with the present invention is shown. The machine (100) comprises a chassis frame (10), an engine (20), a milling unit (30), a splitter gearbox (40), a radiator and oil cooler unit (50) (hereinafter, “ROC unit (50)”), a lube oil filter (60), an air filter unit (70) and an exhaust unit (80).

The chassis frame (10) is supported on front wheels (2) and rear wheels (4). In an embodiment, the wheels (2, 4) are driven by a hydraulic system (not shown). The engine (20) is mounted on the chassis frame (10) in a transverse orientation at a rear end behind an operator seat (6) such that the engine (20) is positioned above the milling unit (30). Specifically, the engine (20) is transversely mounted on four anti-vibration mounts (not shown). The engine (20) is covered by a hood (8).

The milling unit (30) is positioned on a bottom side of the chassis frame (10). The milling unit (30) includes a cutter drum (22). The cutter drum (22) includes a driven pulley (24) coupled thereon. So when the driven pulley (24) is rotated the cutter drum (22) also gets rotated. The cutter drum (22) also includes a speed reducer/gearbox (not shown) mounted thereon. The gearbox for example, a planetary gear box is used to achieve a required reduction ratio.

The splitter gearbox (40) is coupled to a flywheel of the engine (20). Specifically, the splitter gearbox (40) is mounted on a housing of the engine flywheel at one end and takes support from the chassis frame (10) with the help of anti-vibration mounts. The splitter gearbox (40) includes a clutch (not shown) and a driving pulley (32). The clutch is integrated in the splitter gearbox (40) and used for engaging/disengaging the milling unit (30). The driving pulley (32) is coupled to the splitter gearbox (40).

In an embodiment, the splitter gearbox (40) has one input and three outputs. Particularly, all the outputs of the splitter gearbox (40) are on an opposite side of the input. More particularly, two outputs are coupled to pump drives (34) such as hydraulic pumps to run travel and conveyor systems and a third output is coupled with the driving pulley (32). The engine (20) drives an input shaft of the splitter gearbox (40) that in turn drives multiple hydraulic pumps (34). The splitter gearbox (40) has outputs for the pump drives (34) and the driving pulley (32) on one side and an engine coupling unit on the other side.

The driving pulley (32) is coupled to the driven pulley (24) through a belt (36). In an embodiment, both the pulleys (24, 32) are on a same side i.e. a flywheel side of the engine (20). An adjustable tensioning pulley (38) is placed at the backside of an operator platform (15) and above the milling unit (30). The whole arrangement of the engine (20) with the splitter gearbox (40) is placed on the chassis frame (10) at the backside of the operator platform (15) and above the milling unit (30). As the milling unit (30) is positioned below the engine (20), use of the splitter gearbox (40) reduces a center distance between the driving pulley (32) and the driven pulley (24).

The ROC unit (50) is placed at a rear part of the chassis frame (10) adjacent to the engine (20) with the help of anti-vibration mounts (not shown). The ROC unit (11) placed at a rear side of the engine (20) provides enough contact surfaces with an ambient air. The ROC unit (50) includes a sucker fan (not shown) that pulls air from an atmosphere to cool an engine coolant, charge air and hydraulic oil. The lube oil filter (60) is mounted on the engine (20) and is directly accessible from the operator platform (15). The air filter unit (70) is supported on the splitter gearbox (40) and is directly accessible from the operator platform (15). An air intake routing (62) is placed above the splitter gearbox (40) that enables the accessibility of the same from the operator platform (15). The exhaust unit (80) is placed vertically on the chassis frame (10) in order to make the arrangement compact. An exhaust routing (72) and other radiator and cooler routings (not shown) are also mounted above the chassis frame (10).

Figure 6 shows the power transmission from the engine (20) to the milling unit (30). The splitter gearbox (40) is coupled to the engine (20). One of the outputs of the splitter gearbox (40) is used to drive the driving pulley (32) and other two outputs are used to drive the pump drives (34). The power from the driving pulley (32) which is coupled to the splitter gearbox (40) is transmitted through the belt (36) to the driven pulley (24) which is coupled to the cutter drum (22). To adjust the tension in the belt (36), the adjustable tensioning pulley (38) is provided. The generated vertical upward force of the cutter drum (22) is partially suppressed by the engine (20) as the engine (20) acts as a dead weight.

In accordance with the present invention, placement of the engine (20) and accessories thereof above the milling unit (30) allows the major portion of weight of the machine (100) to provide a reaction force to the milling force generated while cutting asphalt/road thereby reducing deflection of the chassis frame (10) that results in better vibration characteristics. This layout also enables reduction in length of the belt (36) as there is possibility of placing the belt (36) sufficiently closer to the cutter drum (22) resulting in a compact arrangement. Further, as the operator is placed in front of the engine (20) and away from the milling unit (30), the vibrations are not transmitted fully and thus reduces discomfort of the operator. Also, the machine (100) enables placing of the air filter unit (70) and filters associated with the engine (20) to be accessed right from the operator platform (15).

Advantages of the invention

1. The machine (100) allows placement of the engine (20) above the milling unit (30) that reduces a dead weight and provides a compact arrangement.
2. The machine (100) reduces the length of the belt (36) and also reduces vibration.
3. As the operator seat (6) is placed in front of the engine (20) and accessories thereof, a sufficient distance is created between the milling unit (30) and the operator that reduces the vibrations being transmitted to the operator thereby increasing the operator comfort.
4. The machine (100) improves accessibility of various filters associated with the engine (20).
5. The machine (100) better utilizes the space and provides more accessibility.
6. The machine (100) provides access to the lube oil filter (60), the air filter unit (70) and the fuel filters from the operator platform (15).
7. The machine (100) does not use series of belt and pulley arrangement to transmit the power. Further, the machine (100) eliminates the use of coupler and drive extension shaft as required in the prior art.
8. The machine (100) is applicable for construction/ road equipment to remove top surface of asphalt / concrete roads. The machine (100) is also useful for surface mining used in a mining industry.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but such omissions and substitutions are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the scope of the claims of the present invention.